USAID/Senegal:
Supporting Senegal’s fight against HIV/AIDS since 1987

USAID was Senegal’s first donor for HIV/AIDS activities and since 1987 has spent more that $25 million to help Senegal keep HIV prevalence low. Over the past 18 years, USAID has strengthened its commitment and today provides over $3 million annually to prevent HIV infection, provide care and support to people living with AIDS and support Senegal’s information system to keep the country one step ahead of the epidemic.

The epidemic in Senegal
HIV prevalence in the general population, estimated at 0.7%, is low in comparison with other West African countries such as Ivory Coast (7%) and Nigeria (5.4%). However, the 20.9% prevalence rate among prostitutes forebodes a potential epidemic explosion and calls for a strategy targeting high-risk groups. Women in Senegal are especially vulnerable to HIV infection and there is a focus on gender aspects in USAID’s intervention. USAID assistance aims to keep the prevalence rate under 3% through a range of prevention, care and support activities:

HIV prevention activities using the ABC approach (Abstinence, Be faithful, Condoms) are targeted to the general population as well as to high-risk groups such as fisherman, transportation workers and the wives of migrant workers. Since 1987, USAID has helped create education materials that promote behavior change, in addition to providing the national AIDS control program with more than 50 million condoms for distribution to high-risk groups. In 2007 alone, USAID-sponsored peer educators trained over 100,000 Senegalese in HIV prevention.

Voluntary counseling and testing: With USAID funding and technical assistance, Senegal’s first voluntary counseling and testing center was opened in Dakar in 2000 by SIDA Service and its partners. In 2007, 35,970 persons used 12 USAID-supported testing and counseling centers.

Care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS emphasizes good nutrition and psycho-social support. USAID supports the Ambulatory Treatment Center in Dakar which provides food, medical care and support to persons living with HIV/AIDS. USAID also supports care services in Kaolack and Ziguinchor. And 4,811 people living with HIV/AIDS received nutritional and psychosocial services.

Tracking the epidemic: Since 1994, USAID in close collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has worked with the Government of Senegal to build an epidemiological information system that alerts health officials to where, how and among whom the epidemic is spreading and thus informs effective prevention campaigns and treatment programs. USAID, in collaboration with CDC, recently evaluated this surveillance system for the Government of Senegal. USAID also strengthen information management at the National HIV/AIDS Prevention Committee (CNLS).

USAID conducts these activities in seven regions (Dakar, Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Thiès, and Ziguinchor) in collaboration with government partners (CNLS, le laboratoire de Bactériologie et de virologie de l’hôpital Le Dantec, Ministère de la Santé/ Division de Lutte contre le SIDA), local nongovernmental organizations (ENDA-GRAF, ENDA Sante, Association AWA, SIDA Service, Synergie pour l’Enfance, le Centre de Traitement Ambulatoire de Fann) and its implementing partners (Family Health International and l’Agence pour le Développement du Marketing Social au Sénégal).